Meaning & Origins

From the Latin form of the Greek name Alexandros, from alexein ‘to defend’ + anēr ‘man, warrior’ (genitive andros). The name became extremely popular in the post-classical period, and was borne by several individuals in the New Testament and some early Christian saints. Its use as a common given name throughout Europe, however, derives largely from the fame of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon (356–323 bc), around whom a large body of popular legend grew up in late antiquity, much of which came to be embodied in the medieval ‘Alexander romances’.